Health and Safety

Public Health England launches new infectious disease strategy. The new strategy addresses current and future threats to health, including antibiotic resistance and health inequalities. Over the last decade, 19 new genetic mechanisms of antibiotic resistance have been identified in bacteria causing infections in the UK. The findings come as Public Health England (PHE) sets out[…]

UK govt urged to investigate into neural interface technologies. Image: The Royal Society has published a report on the potential of neural interface technologies. Photo: courtesy of Tom Morris/Wikipedia.org. The Royal Society, in a report, has asked the UK government to take the lead role in investigating neural interface technologies, which are designed to merge[…]

iRhythm and Verily team up to assist AF patients. An AI firm who is headed by the multinational giant, Alphabet, has today announced its plans to develop tech that will help patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). iRhythm Technologies, Inc. an AI-based testing and monitoring health company, has collaborated with Alphabet’s health tech data firm, Verily. The[…]

Falling Life Expectancy Becoming The ‘Climate Change’ Of Health. Concept of new life and birth abstract medical background.GETTY It’s official. Despite the incredible strides we’re seeing in science and technology, life expectancies are stalling or even falling in much of the developed world. Recent statistics from the Centers for Disease Control show life expectancy has[…]

Breast cancer risk from using HRT is ‘twice what was thought’. Study prompts medicines regulator to advise all women using HRT to remain vigilant. The study shows one in 50 women taking the most common HRT for five years will get breast cancer. Photograph: MarsBars/Getty Images/iStockphoto. The risk of breast cancer from using hormone replacement[…]

App advises steps to treat back pain in the workplace. An app created to reduce back pain has produced exercises aimed to treat the problem in the workplace. Kaia Health claims that a few simple changes in the workplace could help reduce the problem. These include: Walking and talking during phone calls Taking a break[…]

Children’s paediatric therapy provider raises $1.2m in funding. Digital paediatric therapy provider Enable My Child (EMC), has raised $1.2 million in a seed round of financing led by Dallas-based CMI Ventures. With the new capital, Enable My Child will expand its platform, which provides therapy services for schools and early intervention centres across the United States. According[…]

The best emerging health technology for diabetes. The top glucose monitors, insulin pumps, dosage management tools and dietary apps for diabetes sufferers. MaskotGetty Images According to the International Diabetes Federation’s last count in 2017, 425 million adults and over a million children are living with diabetes. A further 325 million people are at risk of developing[…]

Voice Technology And The Lure Of Zero UI In Health Care. GETTY Great technology is invisible. There’s always a push toward it becoming less and less obvious to the user. The less a user notices, the better it’s working. Voice-assisted technology is one place we see this push today. But while it’s ideal for many[…]

Technology group acquires medical software provider. ClearCourse Partnership, a group of technology companies providing software, services and digital capabilities has acquired e-clinic a patient and clinic management software provider. Gerry Gualtieri, CEO of ClearCourse, said: “e-clinic is a dynamic new addition to ClearCourse Partnership. The Company has developed a strong reputation in the healthcare sector[…]

MMR vaccine: one in seven five-year-olds in England may not be immunised. Public Health England issues warning as UK loses measles-free status and PM pledges action on social media firms. A nurse prepares an MMR injection. Photograph: Alamy Stock Photo. One in seven five-year-olds may not be up to date with their MMR immunisation, Public Health England[…]

Lavender oil could cause abnormal breast growth in young boys and girls, new study suggests. Shampoos, soaps and perfume use the essential oil. Lavender oil is among the most popular essential oils in the world and has been used in herbal remedies and rituals for thousands of years. ( iStock ) Lavender oils found in soaps, shampoo and[…]

Scientists find cure for Tuberculosis strain resistant to current treatment. The XDR strain is resistant to all four families of antibiotics typically used to fight the disease. sanjeri/iStock. When she joined a trial of new tuberculosis drugs, the dying young woman weighed just 57 pounds. Stricken with a deadly strain of the disease, she was terrified. Local nurses told her the Johannesburg hospital to[…]

Health: Apps and technology could help ‘patient power’. Apps are being developed to help patients manage their own medicines. Could apps and wearable technology soon mean patients in Wales take more control of their treatment? Doctors and scientists are looking at ways for both drugs and conditions to be better monitored by patients themselves. One[…]

Seven breakthroughs that will transform global health. Which seven pressure points should the global health community focus on to save millions of lives? Vaccines for HIV/Aids, malaria and tuberculosis could save millions of lives Photograph: Chris Hondros/Getty Images. Which major breakthroughs in technology have had a transformative effect on the lives of the world’s poorest?[…]

Studiomade design and develop App to help educate against alcohol abuse. First released in 2014 , Drinks Meter has supported over 50,000 people and helped users from 170 countries. The brainchild of Global Drug Survey Founder, Dr Adam Winstock; Consultant Addictions Psychiatrist and Clinical Lead for the Addiction for London Prisons, believed in order to[…]

‘I lost my son to a sudden asthma attack, despite him having mild symptoms’ Bailey Davis died after a sudden asthma attack Eight-year-old Bailey Davis only ever showed mild symptoms of asthma, but in 2017, without warning, he suffered an acute attack, collapsed and died. His mother Nicki Davis is keen to warn others[…]

Sixth person dies from listeria outbreak The Good Food Chain supplied 43 NHS trusts across the UK (Andrew Matthews/PA) A sixth person has died after eating pre-packaged sandwiches and salads linked to a listeria outbreak, Public Health England (PHE) has said. The latest death was one of the nine cases previously confirmed and PHE said[…]

Department of Health apologises over crowded stroke services meeting Kellie Armstrong took this picture in the foyer of the hotel:KELLIE ARMSTRONG The Department of Health (DH) has apologised for postponing a public engagement on reshaping stroke care because too many people turned up. The meeting was due to take place in the Strangford Arms Hotel in Newtownards,[…]

Listeria outbreak: One of five killed after eating sandwich is identified. Five people are suspected to have died after eating pre-packed sandwiches and salads at NHS hospitals. There has been a listeria outbreak at several hospitals One of the victims of the listeria outbreak at UK hospitals is a businessman who ate a contaminated sandwich, according[…]

Innovaccer research shows how AI could improve cost of care models. Innovaccer, which develops data tools to help health systems with accountable care and population health management, has published a new research paper focused on the ways advanced machine learning algorithms can improve risk models to better predict the future cost of care. WHY IT[…]

Scotland aiming for life sciences lead. A Scots firm is pioneering a possible cure for corneal blindness Scotland is set to become a world leader in innovative health technology, according to the health secretary. Nicola Sturgeon will make the prediction at an NHS Scotland conference later on Friday. She is due to say that pioneering[…]

Technology is transforming mental health treatment. Woffington House is introducing its residents to tech – and helping them connect with younger people. Photograph: Francesca Jones/Guardian Digital technologies should have much to contribute to tackling mental health conditions. Treatment can take place remotely and some patients may prefer to discuss problems through a screen rather than[…]

Medical groups warn climate change is a ‘health emergency’. As Democratic presidential hopefuls prepare for their first 2020 primary debate this week, 74 medical and public health groups aligned on Monday to push for a series of consensus commitments to combat climate change, bluntly defined by the organizations as “a health emergency.” The new climate[…]

New commitments in the fight against antimicrobial resistance. Professor Dame Sally Davies will become UK special envoy on antimicrobial resistance (AMR), and details announced on funding UK’s work in global fight against AMR. Public Health Minister Seema Kennedy has confirmed the government will be retaining the world-leading expertise of outgoing Chief Medical Officer Professor Dame[…]

How can technology be used to support mental health in the workplace? 59% of UK adults experience stress at work, here Natasha Bougourd from TSG highlights how technology can be used to support mental health. When combined, technology and mental health often generate negative headlines. There’s plenty of published reports displaying evidence that helps to reinforce[…]

‘Alexa, call 999’: Smart speakers could automatically raise alarm about people in cardiac arrest, researchers say. ‘These devices have amazing capabilities that we can take advantage of,’ says scientist. Amazon’s Echo device could be soon be used to automatically alert paramedics to a patient in cardiac arrest, say scientists (Reuters). Digital assistants such as Amazon’s Alexa could soon[…]

‘Lifeline’ community treatment pilots to steer offenders away from crime. Photograph by: Ministry of Justice successful Community Sentence Treatment pilots to be rolled out to 9 more courts in 2 new areas cutting edge virtual technology to streamline prison healthcare and reduce pressure on prison and NHS staff first ever Health and Justice Plan to be[…]

Careteam aims to unite patients and healthcare providers with a platform approach. How best to untangle the Gordian knot that is navigating your own healthcare? It’s a tricky question, and one that seems to have become only more complicated as technology improves, in many regards — systems don’t necessarily speak to one another, and it’s[…]

Leading the world in developing innovative technologies for patients. Baroness Blackwood spoke at the Association of British HealthTech Industries (ABHI) UK Market Conference. Good morning – it is brilliant to be here with you all today. I’m here to talk about something we all care about: healthtech. Because I know you all share my ambition[…]

Critical factors to fast-track digital health technology adoption. Digital health technologies, including mobile health (mhealth) and digital therapeutics (DTX), are developing at an increasing pace, providing the NHS with new opportunities to improve health and social care. Both the NHS Long Term Plan and the Health Secretary’s Tech Vision look to harness these new technologies. As a result, a[…]

Hyponatraemia whistle blower and health service failed. BBC News NI Health Correspondent An investigation into how a whistle blower’s hyponatraemia concerns were handled by officials has found the wrong conclusions were reached. The concerns were on the adequacy of searches in 2004 on Western Health Board premises for documents relating to the hyponatraemia inquiry. The[…]

Just one day of work a week improves mental health, study suggests. Researchers say working eight hours has same positive impact as full-time employment Shifting from unemployment to employment reduced people’s risk of falling into the ‘poorest mental health’ category by 30%, the study found. Photograph: Luke MacGregor/Reuters The benefits of employment on mental health[…]

New website to be launched to help young people access mental health. A new website is set to be launched this autumn, dedicated to helping children and young people find mental health support in North Yorkshire. The new website will be a portal or ‘single point of information’ for the many mental health support services[…]

More than 100,000 children denied mental health treatment each year, figures suggest. Tens of thousands of 10-17 year olds seeking help turned away from NHS trusts because problems not deemed ‘serious’ enough, warns Children’s Society A report by the Children’s Society finds that 60 per cent of children referred to mental health services in 2017 were not treated[…]